Method of producing



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

v J. R. PAYSON, Jr. METHOD OF PRODUCING ELECTRICITY,

No. 567,721. Patented Sept. 15, 1896.

' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2. v

J. R. PAYSON, J12, METHOD OF PRODUCING ELECTRICITY.

No. 5 7,721. v Patentedfiept. 15, 1896...

UNITED STATE PAT T Orrin,

FJOSEPII R. PAYSON, J R.

SPECIFICATION on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD or enoouome- ELECTRICITY.

forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,721, dated September 1 5, 1896.

Application filed February 24,1896. Serial-No. 580,499. filo modeh To all whom itmuy concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH R.- PAYSON, J

- of Chicago, Illinois, have invented a certain new and-Improved Method of Obtaining Eleotricity, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive method of obtaining practical currents of electricity from cheap materials on alarge scale,

. .Myinvention relates to that, class of elecclectrolyteshall be composed of combustible substances or gases which are unstable in their nature, or, what amounts to the same thing, said electrolyte is capable of holding in solution unstable combustible gases or substances, so that when a current passes through 4 the electrolyte the latter is decomposed and furnishes a large amount of combustible gases or'substances'in a nascent-state, so that the latter may unite chemically or burn 'with the oxygen or other negative gases of said electrolyte. Heretofore in batteries of this character the positive electrodehasconsisted of Isomejoxidizable metal'and an acid or alkaline electrolyte, or, if a gas -battery, carbon or [other non-oxidizable' poles have been usedadapted to absorb simple orelementary combustible gases supplied thereto; but so far as I am aware non-oxidizable positive electrodes surrounded byan electrolyte containing positive or combustible gasesin unstable combination have not been used and are new. It is well known that supplyinga simple positive gas, such ashydrogcu, has no efiect on the;

positive electrode, unless a special construe/ lion be employed and the electrode covered with some absorptive substance. This latter plan has never been practical. I havediscovered, however, that if an unstable, gas, such as sulfureted hydrogen, (11 8,), e fled into an electrolyte, say .,aeidulated w ter, a current is produced, because the above gas, being solublein water and decomposing on 'the passage of a; slight current, furnishes free hydrogen iua nascent state, which, as is well known, ism uch. more powerful to uni to with the oxygen also thus generated in the decomposition of the water. As. sulfureted hydrogen, however, is not very soluble in water, one volume of water absorbing only four vol- 'umes ofthis gas, a weak solution-only of the gas.- results, producing with bichro-mate of potash as a depolarizer at the negative pole the amount of sulfureted hydrogen employed in the solution surrounding the positive electrode.

monia .surrounding the positive electrode,

nium, namely, ammonium. sulfid, ((NH,) S,) ammonium disulfid, (NH S and ammonium hydrosulfid, (NILHSJ &c., in a battery containing an alkaline depolarizing solution,

iug to one volt) is'obtained than when the sulfides of the other alkalinemetals, such as potassium and sodiulmare used in the electrolyte surroundingthe positive elect-rode.

Figure 1 isa sectional elevation of a simple form-"ofthe apparatus. Fig. '2 is a sectional air-tube, inserted in a longitudinal cavity thereof; and Fig. 3 is a'diagrannnatic view,- partly in section, showing the means for supplying the" air under pressure and the top of the cells closed, with valve-vents provided in the cups. 1 1; In the accompanying drawings, Fig. lrepresents-"a battery of two cells A and B in which E {flare the. negative electrodes, andG ID are thepositive electrodes, inclose'd by the porous cups F F. The electrodes may be composed of carbon or other practically-unoxidizable finaterial'. A retort R is heat-ed by a source of heat II and contains an y suitable combination'of substances to obtain the special combination of combustible gases or substances desired. If compounds of hydrogen and sulfrom time to time and used over again, the only object being to use the sulfur as a volufrom one-half a volt" to a volt,-according-to.

a much higher electromotive force (amountfur aredesired, nitrogenous substances, such crage or coal may be used. When these sublatter may be incorporated with the same.

I have discovered that by injecting sulfureted hydrogen into a solution of an thus producing the several sulfide of ammodetail of thenegative electrode, showing-an I nitrogenous compounds.

ole temporarily to utilize the hydrogen of the ammoniacal products obtained by the destructive distillation of the above-mentioned Where 'sulfureted hydrogen alone is desired, a mixture of tallow and sulfur may bedistilled in the retort.

I have mentioned compounds of hydrogen and sulfur because they are cheap and effective,- hydrogen producing. at ordinary temperatures a high electror'notive force. It is obvious, however, that other compounds can be used, such, for instance, as the compounds of cyanogen in solution. Referring again to the drawings, the products of distillation from the retort R, say, for instance, ammonium sulfid, made more chemically active by being warm I or hot, are conveyed in a gaseous form by the tube K into the porous cup E, which latter is filled with Water. The space out-side of the porous cups mayin this case be filled with any I tion.

tube K and thence into suitable alkaline solution, the ammoniuuu sulfid gas coming from the tube K being ab? sorbed by the Water in the porous cup F. I The porous'cups F F are closed at their tops, perforations being made for the pipes and electrodes shown. Surplus ammonium-sulfid gas passes from the porous cup F by the tube K into the second porous cup F and thence through the water of .the latter to the.

the air or any other desirable number of cells of a similar descrip- The electrolyte outside of the porous cups may of course consist of any well-known depolarizing solution, such as potassium orsodium nitrate, ($50., but on a-large scale it would probably be cheaper to inject air for this purpose. For this latter purpose'l have devised aspecial form of negative electrode, (shown in Fig. 2,) consisting of a solidmass of carbon with minute perforations being formed in the shell transecting the central cavity,.so that air fornished as by the tube M is expelled into the electrolyte in the form of jets, its oxygen uniting with the hydrogen liberated therein .by the action of the battery, This special electrode can also be used in the positive cell if desired,'being suppliedwith the combustib'le gas, and especially when the battery is tobe used as-a storage cell, when the necessary gases can be suppliedjrom proper tanksor reservoirs. 1 1

In Fig. 3 I have indicated an air-compressor a central longitudinal cavity,

J, having the delivery-pipe M connected thereto. The top of the outer cell is closed, as at M, and the cell F is also closed. a The outside cell is provided with a valved, vent G and the cell F is provided witha valved vent I. In this form of construction the electrolytesurroundingthe positive electrode is under the pressure due to the injected sulfureted hydrogen and the electrolyte surrounding the negative electrode is under the pressure of the air forced in by the compressor The vent G is used to exhaust the nitrogen of the air from the outer cell or chamber, and the vent I for drawing oft the water formedin the inner cell, but said vent is kept closed ordinarily .to preventthe fluid of the inner cell from being forced out.

'Iclaim I 1. A galvanic cell having its electrodes surrounded by diverse electrolytic fluids of which the electrolyte surrounding the positive electrode contains sulfureted hydrogen and a diaphragm separating said fluids, substantially. as described;

2. A galvanic cell having its-positive eIec trode surrounded by an electrolytic fluid, composed of ammonia, having sulfureted hydrogen, in combination therewith, a negative electrode and electrolytic fluid surrounding' the same and a diaphragm interposed between the electrodes substantiallyas described.

I 3. A galvanic cell having its positive electro de'surrounded-by an electrolyte contain-' ing sulfureted hydrogen under pressure, a

negative electrode, an electrolytic fluid surrounding the same, a-diaphragm interposed between. the electrodes and'meansfor applying adepolarizer under pressure. to the electrolyte surrounding the negative electrode.-

4, A-galvanic cell having its positive electrode surrounded by an electrolyte containing sulfureted. hydrogen under pressure, a porous cup containing said electrolyte, a negative electrode provided with a longitudinal cavity and transverse apertures--communi-- catingtherewith and means for supplying ah".

under pressure to said cavity; substantially as described.

I JOSEPH R. PAYSON, JR.

Witnesses: C. .0. LINTHICUM, L. F. MQCREA. 

